Also 5–6 -dye, 5–7 -die, 7 costodie. [ad. L. custōdia guarding, keeping, f. custos, custōd-em guardian, keeper: see -Y.]
1. Safe keeping, protection, defence; charge, care, guardianship. Const. of the thing guarded, or of the person guarding it.
1491. Act 7 Hen. VII., c. 3. There to rest as your Tresour in the Custodie of the seid Chief Officer.
1513. More, in Grafton, Chron., II. 772. Both … for a while to be in the custody of their mother.
1555. Eden, Decades, 54. Leauynge the custodye of the fortresse with a certeyne noble gentelman.
1625. Bacon, Consid. War Spain (1629), 27 (J.). There were prepared … a lesse Fleet of 30 ships for the custody of the Narrow Seas.
1652. Sir E. Nicholas, in N. Papers (Camden), I. 320. When he shall have the custody of the Great Seal.
1704. Lond. Gaz., No. 4048/4. She [a mare] was seen … in custody of a Man.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. lxiv. 609. The custody of the passes was neglected.
1891. Law Times, XC. 462/1. Where the court refuses a parent the custody of his child.
2. The keeping of the officers of justice (for some presumed offence against the law); confinement, imprisonment, durance.
[1590. Shaks., Com. Err., I. i. 156. Iaylor, take him to thy custodie.]
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 4. He shall be apprehended by some Souldiers … and committed to safe custody til he hath paid some fee for his ransome.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Warres, 129. He had … committed him to hard and close Custody, more out of suspition, than for any Crimes.
1727. Swift, What passed in London. That so … honest a man should be ordered into custody.
1802. M. Edgeworth, Moral T. (1816), I. xv. 120. The constables … appeared. T. R. was taken into custody.
1888. Morley, Burke, 61. The messenger of the serjeant-at-arms attempted to take one of them into custody in his own shop in the city.
† 3. The office of a keeper; guardianship. Obs.
1609. Bible (Douay), Num. viii. 26. Thus shalt thou dispose to the Levites in their custodies.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. ix. 30. Who gaue away … such Honours, Custodies, and Dignities, as were vacant.
1613. Sir H. Finch, Law (1636), 286. Custodies of Woods, Parks, Forrests, Chases.
† 4. A case for keeping a thing in. Obs. rare.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 240/3. His bookes whiche had [not] a custodye [nullum habentes conservatorium] fyl in the water.
5. attrib.
a. 1625. Cope, in Gutch, Coll. Cur., I. 122. Custody Lands, anciently termed the Crown Lands, answered in the Pipe.
